"A serious landslide could occur at any time. We simply cannot take the risk of allowing drivers to continue using the route."

So says MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, who visited a Watchet road closed on Friday amid fears over a landslide.

And the Bridgwater and West Somerset MP says work must start as quickly as possible to identify and build an alternative route to the cliff-top road.

Somerset County Council shut the B3191 at Cleeve Hill on Friday afternoon (December 27) after motion sensors detected movement in the cliff face below.

And following a site meeting on Sunday, Mr Liddell-Grainger confirmed there was no likelihood of it reopening.

Now, the Conservative MP says, a real team effort is needed to plan and build a realignment – even though the work is likely to take months and cost many millions.

Yesterday he held a site meeting with county council leader David Fothergill, deputy leader Mandy Chilcott and portfolio holder Christine Lawrence.

But, he said, the meeting had merely confirmed that the section of road was now too dangerous to re-open to traffic.

“There has been no collapse as such yet but the motion sensors have detected movement in the area and a serious landslide could occur at any time," he said.

"We simply cannot take the risk of allowing drivers to continue using the route."

Somerset County Gazette:

VISIT: Ian Liddell-Grainger, second from right, with county council leader David Fothergill, deputy leader Mandy Chilcott and portfolio holder Christine Lawrence at the site, near Watchet

Fears about the road’s stability centre on a section where it runs inches from the edge of the cliff with a 120-foot sheer drop below – a situation which it has been in since a previous major landslide.

It has been made more perilous because wave action has severely undercut the cliffs in recent years, the MP added.

The B3191 is the main road between Watchet and Blue Anchor, two miles west, where coastal erosion has already led to the closure of the Blue Anchor Hotel and may soon necessitate a major road realignment.

But it also acts as the main diversionary route whenever the parallel A39 is closed by accidents.

Mr Liddell-Grainger said in view of its strategic importance it was essential that all options were considered as rapidly as possible.

“Engineers are drawing up a full report on the situation and it is clear there is plenty of land to divert the road further away from the cliffs,” he said.

READ MORE: Road closed amid fears over unstable cliff face

“But it is not going to be a quick or simple matter and we really need to pull together to get this project underway as soon as is possible.

“I fear there is going to be some impact on Watchet’s economy because the closure has isolated the town from two of the largest local caravan parks.

"But that, and the importance of this road as a diversionary route for the A39, merely underline the fact that we must give this work top priority.”

Somerset County Gazette:

CLOSED: The B3191 at Watchet, which runs along the coast in parts. PICTURE: Google Street View